KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JUNE 16: Lionel Messi #10 and players of Argentina line up to applaud fans after the team’s 3-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match between Argentina and Algeria at Kansas City Stadium on June 16, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. Michael Steele/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MICHAEL STEELE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Adidas on Thursday apologised for a surfeit of pink boots at the World Cup, saying that it was a coincidence that they were sported by a striking number of players.
Asked by AFP about the unusual uniformity of boot colours during a press conference on the company’s quarterly results, Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said “it was an accident”.
“I think it’s a coincidence, and I hope it will not happen again,” he added.
It was not the colour itself but different brands all opting for the same hue that had surprised him, Gulden said.
